Teleradiology

Teleradiology is the ability to transmit patients’ radiological images between various locations in order to facilitate diagnoses involving multiple healthcare professionals. This technology is an important component towards improving patient care while reducing costs, as it allows Radiologists and others to contribute their services without having to be physically present in the same location. This is particularly helpful given that the use of medical imaging technologies such as CT scan, PET, MRI, x-rays and ultrasound are expected to increase at a much faster rate than the number of Radiologists.

Since the data from digital medical images is generally transmitted via the Internet, phone lines or a WAN or LAN connection, teleradiology expanded rapidly in step with faster broadband connections. This, combined with new CT technologies, turned medical imaging into a key tool in the emergency room. Today, virtually nothing of consequence takes place in medicine without an image.

However, ER doctors are generally not trained to read MRIs, so for rural hospitals that only have one radiologist, the need for having a radiologist available off-site 24/7 became a necessity. Teleradiology is especially important when a subspecialist, such as a musculoskeletal, or a pediatric radiologist is required, as they are often not available on site in more rural locations. This situation fueled the growth of a new teleradiology outsourcing service industry.

In order to ensure patient privacy, teleradiology systems must be HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) compliant.